Women's Center - A-Z Index

Urinary incontinence - vaginal sling procedures

Vaginal sling procedures are types of surgeries that help control stress urinary incontinence
. This is urine leakage that happens when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift things, or exercise. A vaginal sling procedure helps close your urethra and bladder neck. The urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside. The bladder neck is the part of the bladder that connects to the urethra.

Vaginal sling procedures use different materials:

Tissue from your body

Tissue from the body of a person who has died (cadaver tissue)

Tissue from a pig or cow

Manmade (synthetic) material

You have either general anesthesia or spinal anesthesia before the surgery starts.

With general anesthesia, you are asleep and feel no pain.

With spinal anesthesia, you are awake but from the waist down you are numb and feel no pain.

A catheter (tube) is placed in your bladder to drain urine from your bladder.

The doctor makes one small surgical cut (incision) inside your vagina. Another small cut is made just above the pubic hair line or in the groin. Most of the procedure is done through the cut inside the vagina.

The doctor creates a sling from the tissue or synthetic material. The sling is passed under your urethra bladder neck and is attached to the strong tissues in your lower belly.

Alternative Names

Pubo-vaginal sling; Transobdurator sling

Why the Procedure Is Performed

Before discussing surgery, your doctor will have you try bladder retraining, Kegel exercises, medicines, or other options. If you tried these and are still having problems with urine leakage, surgery may be your best option.

For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762). Select option 1.

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